“Talent is an appreciable asset, and those companies that value talent as an investment think and act differently — they innovate,” declares Rusty Rueff, chief executive officer of Snocap and author of Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business.
During a presentation at the Peopleclick global client conference held this week, Rueff talked about his book and told recruiters to think about talent in a different way — not as a cost, but as an asset to be invested in. He points to the irony of circular recruiting in which “everyone is available all the time, waiting for the next opportunity to come along and capture their attention,” he says.
To combat that challenge, Rueff urges recruiters to consider building a stronger Web presence to attract quality talent. He says that companies don’t often compare the value of their company’s front door to the value of their corporate website. It is increasingly rare, Reuff says, that future employees are walking in to your swanky lobby to drop off a resume with your receptionist.
“Is this new [online] lobby friendly, welcoming, and doing everything you want that friendly, vivacious receptionist doing? Back in the physical lobby, imagine if someone came in and talked to the receptionist, but the receptionist didn’t talk back or even pick up the resume. The same thing is happening in our new lobbies, and not enough people are paying attention,” he says.
Career sites are the second-most visited corporate web pages, and if your company’s job page isn’t easily found, Rueff says it is probably time to audit your career site.
“If it’s hard to find, it is kind of like having the lobby door locked,” he adds, mentioning a handful of tips to revamp your virtual lobby:
1. Capture rates. Measure your capture rate to determine how many people go to the site and submit profiles/resumes. The capture goal should be 20% or above; if your company’s figure is lower, it might be time to investigate what you could be doing better.
2. Goals. Are your company goals articulated well? One innovative way to keep ahead of the competition is to post a live-stream video starring your company’s chief executive officer — after all, who better to outline future goals?
3. Positioning. Look back at exit interviews to get a feel of what people think about your company. Another way to get the truth is to use Google to see what bloggers are writing about your company. Type in “blogs” and “[your company name]” and be prepared for a not always flattering dose of reality, Rueff warns.
4. Competition. Compare against the competition and spend time on competitors’ sites to make sure your company is better than your own. “People respond to the competition, and it’s a very important thing to think about,” he adds.